More Bang for Your Bagel Buck

Happy Tuesday all! Hope everyone is sailing through the week to another highly anticipated weekend. Hopefully you have some fun plans or some major relaxation scheduled! I’m still going to be prepping for my grad party that is less than 2 weeks away! Thank you all so much for all your recommendations with casseroles and such to make for serving. One thing for sure is I am making some type of pulled meat as Erica suggested(thanks so much for the long and YUMMY list btw), and my grandpa will be making some stellar chicken wings. I am so excited to present a “virtual” tour of my party to you guys! A neighbor is making the cake so I pretty much get to customize it to my liking and so far it is going to be adorable! But I better stop or I will give everything away spoil all the fun—so you’ll have to sit tight till June 20th. I know you will =)

On to some food business as usual. I loved how I received tons of feedback on how some recipes just can’t be tweaked or can’t keep that special taste by being healthified. I totally agree 101%, and today’s recipe is one that fits the bill. If I want a good bagel, well then I’m going to eat one regardless. Of course I did make these 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose instead of all white. Wheat just has an unbeatable taste. But, if you’re not the type to make your own bagels (yeast rising, boiling + baking) you can always check out my review of Kim's Light Bagels if you missed it before & buy some ASAP. I just don’t understand how they can make such light bagels, but retain such a full and flavorful taste. Maybe one day I will health stealth em’. I decided to stab Einstein Bros in the back and any other bagel companies and make my own! Hello saving money and total customization anyone?

Homemade Bagels

Recipe adapted from here.

Yield: 8-12 bagels

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (112-115 degrees F)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt 
2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 1/4 C ww flour
8 cups of water, for boiling
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water

Optional add-ins: cinnamon, raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, blueberries—basically anything that fits your fancy!

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes.

2. Mix 2 cups of flour with the salt in a large bowl; then add the yeast mixture. Stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour.

3. Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Dough should be fairly smooth and somewhat firm. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.

4. Punch dough down (if using additions, add these now). Divide and shape into 12 balls. (For larger bagels, make only 8 balls.) Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop 2 or 3 bagels at a time into the boiling water for about 45 seconds, turning each once.

7. Drain cooked bagels on a wire rack. Mix egg white and water; brush tops with egg white mixture and top with optional toppings, if using. Place bagels on greased baking sheets.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, turning once half-way through baking. (If making plain bagels, you can flip the bagels; otherwise, just rotate.) Bagels will be lightly browned and shiny.

9. Optional step: My bagels were still slightly doughy in the inside after baking, so I sliced all of them in half and baked open face on 350 F for another 10 minutes; worked like a charm!

Toast and Enjoy!

Apparently my dog was hoping there was a bone flavored bagel in the mix—he was disappointed to say the least.